Mithymna and Tourism

Molyvos owes its present-day economic and cultural prosperity to institution of
social (welfare) tourism in Molyvos, which was envisaged by sociologist Michalis Goutos in
the late fifties.
Until then, Mithymna was on a constant decline. The town did not have electricity, there
was a water shortage, there were no telephones; the town was virtually abandoned...
Changes took place rapidly and within 20 years all these problems became ancient history.

In 1965 Molyvos was officially declared as a protected site (a traditional settlement
according to the relative preservation order). The town enjoyed a booming economy followed by a flourishing cultural life. Today,
Mithymna is recognized internationally as a location of unique beauty.

International celebrities and men of the Arts who have visited Molyvos have been
mesmerized by the charm of the town: Camus, Daninos, S. Vasiliou, Mikis Theodorakis,
Tsarouhis, Bergman, Chaplin, K. Grammatopoulos, Kokoska, L. Papadopoulos, T. Patrikios,
Henry Douar and many other Greek and international celebrities.

Today, Molyvos has some 30 first, second and third class Hotel establishments as well as a
large number of rented rooms and apartments. Molyvos has the necessary infrastructure and
has managed perfectly to preserve its special color, so that it can accommodate the
thousands of tourists who visit the town each year.

In recent years Molyvos has especially promoted a particular type of tourism: Conference
Tourism. A large number of conferences are held at the Municipal Conference Center and
Conference Halls of Hotel Establishments every year.

Having profoundly understood the principles of social (welfare) tourism and soft
exploitation taught by Michael Goutos, his students, the people of Molyvos, remained
simple in their ways and down to earth offering hospitality and seeking human contact
rather than easy profit.